Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Victorinox appears to be taking aim at the growing wilderness survival market with their new and robust Hunter Profolding
knife. Sporting a one-hand opening, 4" long, 440C Stainless blade, the
Hunter Pro looks to be the biggest and baddest Victorinox knife yet.

In fact, Victorinox is making no bones about who the target audience is for this knife, as evidenced by theirpromo video, which
shows the Hunter Pro being batoned through a log (yes, folks, the Swiss
Army Knife people are actually batoning a log with this knife-- who da
thunk it?!)

Considering
that Victorinox is more known for polite pocket knives than for serious
survival blades, I find this quite interesting, and it's one more sign
that bushcraft and wilderness survival are growing in popularity.

The blade shape on the Hunter Pro is a curious mix of a spear-point with
a scandi-grind, and a pronounced secondary bevel. The blade has a matte
bead-blasted finish, very similar to many of Gerber Gear's blades.

(click to enlarge)

The handle scales are made from a slip-resistant dual-density, hard rubber:

I
ran the Hunter Pro through a battery of our standard field tests,
including Fine Carving, Food Prep, Batoning and a Tip Strength test. I
wasn't expecting much from a folding knife, but since Victorinox was
touting the Hunter Pro as a "rugged" folding blade, I decided to go hard
on it.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Hunter Pro actually lived up
to Victorinox's hype. The handle turned out to be very comfortable and
secure in the hand, and the blade's edge geometry made it an excellent
fine carving knife:

The matte finish on the blade also made food prep a breeze, especially
when cutting blocks of cheese, which tend to stick like glue to knife
blades.

The
Hunter Pro also took our rather brutal Tip Strength and Batoning tests
in stride. I batoned the blade through a very knotted log, half
expecting the lock mechanism to break, or the blade to chip but the
Hunter Pro held up with no signs of edge damage, or degradation to the
lock mechanism.

The
Tip strength test yielded similar results. I stabbed the Hunter Pro's
tip repeatedly into a dry pine log and twisted it, to see if it would
break, but it held up perfectly.

Unfortunately,
a technical glitch with our camera's SD card prevented us from posting
the photos of the batoning and tip-strength tests, but I plan to update
this review with new photos as soon as time permits.

Steel Quality

In creating the Hunter Pro, Victorinox decided to go with American 440C
Stainless Steel, with a Rockwell hardness of 56. I think this was a good
decision, as it gives the knife a good combination of toughness and
edge retention. I found the Hunter Pro a little easier to sharpen than
my standard Victorinox Swiss Army Knives, yet it seemed to hold its edge
better.

One-handed Opening

The Hunter Pro's blade has a large thumb hole to facilitate one-handed
opening, similar to Spyderco's folding knives. Unfortunately, I found
the Hunter Pro's one-hand opening a bit stiff right out of the box. I
wasn't terribly surprised by this, as my experience with earlier
incarnations of Victorinox's one-handed openers (i.e. the One Handed
Trekker, etc) was similar. However, the Hunter Pro did loosen up
enough with use that I found it to be an improvement over the One Handed
Trekker.

Another minor issue was that right out of the box, there was a small
amount of up and down play between the blade and the lock mechanism.
Looking around on knife forums, I found this to be a common issue. It
didn't seem to affect the knife in any way while batoning, but I wanted
to mention it.

Conclusion

The
Hunter Pro turned out to be a ruggedly built folding blade that proved
its durability during our harsh batoning and tip strength tests. It was
comfortable in the hand, and surprisingly good at wood carving. I think
Victorinox fans who are looking for a larger, more capable outdoor
knife will be well-pleased with the Hunter Pro.

Jason Schwartz is the founder and senior editor of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft. He is a former Red Cross certified Wilderness & Remote First Aid Instructor, and has taught bushcraft and wilderness survival techniques to the Boy Scouts of America, interned with the US Forest Service, and studied wilderness survival, forestry and wildland firefighting at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville, Colorado. Jason has also written for magazines such as The New Pioneer and Backpacker, including writing the "Tinder Finder" portion of Backpacker's "Complete Guide to Fire," which won a 2015 National Magazine Award (NMA). Email him at rockymountainbushcraft @ hotmail.com (without spaces)

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

As
a Red Cross certified Wilderness & Remote First Aid Instructor, I'm
often asked which "off the shelf" first aid kit is best for the field.
There are many companies that make first aid kits, but of all the ones
I've tried,Adventure Medical Kitsseems to be the most well balanced and practical.

The back of the case has a convenient, easy-to-read list of contents,
which makes it a much simpler task to find something when you're under
the stress of an emergency situation.

(click to enlarge)

Both sides of the case also feature reflective lettering, to aid in locating first aid items under low light conditions:

The
Weekender Kit, which touts the ability to treat 1-6 people for up to 7
days in the backcountry, has proven itself many times during our field
testing trips. Whether treating a burn from an errant campfire ember, or
bandaging a cut from the nick of a sharp axe, the Weekender has become a
welcome friend in our gear packs.

For
folks looking for made in the USA products, I'd note that even though
some of the components in this kit are of foreign manufacture, the
entire kit is assembled by American workers in Adventure Medical Kit's
Littleton, New Hampshire plant.

Conclusion

Highly recommended no matter what outdoor adventure you undertake, the
AMK Weekender is a high quality, well thought out product that deserves top priority next time you're shopping for a new first
aid kit.

Jason Schwartz is the founder and senior editor of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft. He is a former Red Cross certified Wilderness & Remote First Aid Instructor, and has taught bushcraft and wilderness survival techniques to the Boy Scouts of America, interned with the US Forest Service, and studied wilderness survival, forestry and wildland firefighting at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville, Colorado. Jason has also written for magazines such as The New Pioneer and Backpacker, including writing the "Tinder Finder" portion of Backpacker's "Complete Guide to Fire," which won a 2015 National Magazine Award (NMA). Email him at rockymountainbushcraft @ hotmail.com (without spaces)

Monday, October 14, 2013

A properly tempered axe bit is both hard and tough, but the frigid temperatures of winter can make it brittle enough to chip or even break if it is not warmed first prior to chopping.

A common suggestion is to warm the blade of your axe underneath your armpit. Obviously, sticking a cold, razor-sharp axe blade inside your coat is not only uncomfortable, but can injure you or cut your clothing.

A simpler and safer way to warm your axe bit is to make a few light chops into the wood before you start chopping at full strength. This warms the blade quickly due to the intense friction of the bit striking the wood fibers.

You can then begin to chop at full power without worrying about damaging your bit.

About the author

Jason Schwartz is the founder and senior editor of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft. He is a former Red Cross certified Wilderness & Remote First Aid Instructor, and has taught bushcraft and wilderness survival techniques to the Boy Scouts of America, interned with the US Forest Service, and studied wilderness survival, forestry and wildland firefighting at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville, Colorado. Jason has also written for magazines such as The New Pioneer and Backpacker, including writing the "Tinder Finder" portion of Backpacker's "Complete Guide to Fire," which won a 2015 National Magazine Award (NMA). Email him at rockymountainbushcraft @ hotmail.com (without spaces)

The guides are constructed to be lightweight and waterproof. The emphasis is on surviving in the Eastern US, but much of the information is universal. Regardless of Dave's "resume embellishment" saga, I think he did a great job on these guides, as the information is sound, helpful and well written. Definitely worth consideration as something to throw in your pack "just in case."

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About the author

Jason Schwartz is the founder and senior editor of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft. He is a former Red Cross certified Wilderness & Remote First Aid Instructor, and has taught bushcraft and wilderness survival techniques to the Boy Scouts of America, interned with the US Forest Service, and studied wilderness survival, forestry and wildland firefighting at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville, Colorado. Jason has also written for magazines such as The New Pioneer and Backpacker, including writing the "Tinder Finder" portion of Backpacker's "Complete Guide to Fire," which won a 2015 National Magazine Award (NMA). Email him at rockymountainbushcraft @ hotmail.com (without spaces)

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Blue Ridge Kniveswas nice enough to send us aMarble'sSafety
Axe No. 5 to try recently. My initial impression was favorable, since
the overall quality, head profile and factory sharpness seemed very good
for a hatchet in this price range.

What makes the Safety Axe unique is the built-in metal guard that folds
out of the handle and functions as a protective sheath for the blade. The metal sheath has a piece of plastic inside to protect the bit when it's folded over the blade.

Eager
to try the Safety Axe, I grabbed it and headed off to a favorite test
location. The first three swings seemed very promising, as it cut deep
into the wood for a small hatchet.

The
fourth swing, however, turned into a nightmare. The head literally
went flying up in the air, landing just inches behind me on the ground.
Had it landed on me, it would have most likely meant a trip to the
emergency room.

Thinking
I might have just gotten a defective hatchet, I went online and did
some research. I found that fellow blogger Woodtrekker had the same
issue with the head coming loose when herevieweda Marble's Safety Axe #9 back in October of 2010.

I also found that AG Russell was selling this same hatchet under the name "Pocket Safety Axe" for the rather outlandish price of $79.95. That's some serious coin for a mass produced hatchet that's made in Taiwan.

Conclusion

If
Marbles fixes the head\handle issue, it could be a nice little
backwoods hatchet. The stock cutting profile and sharpness is very good.
The attached guard does make the handle a little less comfortable due
to the hollowed space and metal liner, but the guard is a really handy
feature. It can be used to attach the Safety Axe to your belt as well.

The
head/handle junction issue is a real safety hazard. There is just too
much potential for serious injury, so this axe is not recommended.

Was this review helpful? If so, please stop by our Facebook page and follow us!

About the author

Jason Schwartz is the founder and senior editor of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft. He is a former Red Cross certified Wilderness & Remote First Aid Instructor, and has taught bushcraft and wilderness survival techniques to the Boy Scouts of America and studied wilderness survival, forestry and wildland firefighting at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville, Colorado. Jason has also written for magazines such as The New Pioneer and Backpacker, including writing the "Tinder Finder" portion of Backpacker's "Complete Guide to Fire," which won a 2015 National Magazine Award (NMA). Email him at rockymountainbushcraft @ hotmail.com (without spaces)

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

As some of you may have noticed, posting has slowed down considerably over the past several weeks. This is because Rocky Mountain Bushcraft's hometown of Estes Park was caught in the middle of the Colorado Flood disaster. As you can imagine, it has been a slow road to recovery.

(A creek flows through the middle of a mountain resident's yard where there once was none)

In spite of all of my preparations for an event like this, I was taken aback by the scale of it. Everyone I know was affected in some way, either physically or emotionally. Life is beginning to return to normal to some extent, but as you can imagine, it's taken time to regroup and start writing again.

I look forward to getting back in the swing of things, so look for a bunch of new posts/articles/reviews in the coming days and weeks, and please stop by the Rocky Mountain Bushcraft Facebook page and hit us up with a "Like", as we will be posting a lot of extra material there.

Cheers,

Jason

PS- During this period, several readers wrote us to ask if we were ok-- thank you--we really appreciated hearing from you!

PSS- This is footage of the flood destruction in the mountain town of Glen Haven. The mountains that surround Glen Haven are where we do some of our axe testing: